Comedian Lee Soo-ji, who became embroiled in a political bias controversy after mentioning a "by-election" in a sketch parodying public officials, has announced strong legal action against malicious posts and the spread of false information about her.

Lee's agency, CP Entertainment, stated, "We have confirmed that malicious slander, personal attacks, and defamatory posts targeting the artist have been continuously spreading across online communities and social media recently."

The agency emphasized, "As this is a serious matter infringing upon the artist's reputation and rights, we will take strict action with a zero-tolerance policy, including civil and criminal measures, without leniency or settlement."

Previously, Lee released a mockumentary video on her YouTube channel where she played a first-year public official.

The video included a scene where a civil petitioner shouted "by-election" and was stopped. Some netizens raised criticism, arguing that it recalled the ballot paper shortage incident during the local elections and portrayed citizens like malicious petitioners.

As the controversy grew, the production team deleted the scene and apologized, stating there was no political intention.

Lee also posted a handwritten apology and announced a temporary suspension of her YouTube activities.

Although Lee announced her return about a month later, persistent malicious comments continued, leading her agency to resort to strong legal measures.

(Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Min-ji | Design by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News)